phone?

I took my regular Iphone to Spain with us. Checked ahead with my local server to see that it would work and which server to use in Europe. Also, preloaded lots of phone numbers and other info ahead of time. My main concern was any problems on the road with our rental car and changes to any reservations we had made. All worked out well, bill was minimal (sent texts not calls) and I didn't have a temporary phone to get rid of at the end of our trip. Already enough disposable junk in this day and age.

renee, It would help to know whether you presently have a Cellphone, and which network you're with? To begin with, you might have a look at some of the "travel phone" firms such as Call In Europe, Roam Simple, Cellular Abroad, Telestial or Mobal. They have inexpensive phones which will have consistent rates in all the countries you'll be visiting. Check their respective websites for details on their rates, etc. Cheers!

I too now take an iPhone, having very carefully turned off the data roaming. ; ) I used to rent a cell phone through autoeurope. I started doing this when I had some difficulty finding pay phones in the UK. Others have reported that they don't have any problems. The other thing that we noticed, was that our B&B people and others were always asking for the cell number, and it is nice to have a means of them reaching you. Pam

If you don't currently have a cell phone that will work in Europe, it's easy enough to buy an unlocked GSM quad-band or tri-band phone on eBay or Amazon. I have used Range Roamer for a SIM card that works in 140 countries. I think the card is $39 which includes $10 of air time.

If you were just going to one country I would say buy a SIM card in that county for your phone. But unless you are going to be in each country for several weeks it may be easier to get an international plan from your US provider. Another option if you have a smartphone like iPhone or android could be using skype over wifi from your hotel if that limitation would work for you.

Here's an option I haven't seen posted yet: Get a phone that allows wifi calling. Most newer smartphones permit that now. Then set up a skype account (or one of the other similar ones) and call using wifi. Lot cheaper and it will work in all three countries. If you get a phone that is unlocked and has the necessary European frequencies, you can buy a local SIM in one of the countries and use that as a backup option. Roaming costs in EU countries are regulated so it may not be as expensive as using your U.S. account (should you have international roaming available as an option). Another alternative: Get a calling card and use that at payphones. A little more hassle finding the nearest payphone, but cheaper than some other options.